Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has requested the Government to allow mortgage clause to be made applicable to constructions coming up on 100 sq. metres and more in view of rampant unauthorised constructions taking place across the twin cities.
The mortgage clause where 10 per cent of the built up space is handed over to the municipal body during the building permission stage was brought about to act as a deterrent to the illegal constructions. But, this was applicable for constructions on 200 sq. metres plot size or more in the municipal corporations and 300 sq. mts or more in municipalities when the common building rules came into vogue.
Occupation certificate
Apparently, it has come to the planning officials and GHMC Commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy’s notice that there has been a spurt in unauthorised constructions in smaller plots not having the mortgage coming under the clause there were more illegal constructions whereas it had served as a deterrent for most big constructions as the mortgaged 10 per cent built up area is released only when the Occupation Certificate (OC) is given.
Sanctioned plans
And, OCs are given only if the said construction is built as per the sanctioned plans and minus any deviation. They are linked to the power and water connections as per law. The issue came to the fore during Dr. Reddy’s recent review with the town planning staff where he wanted OCs also to be issued online since the building permissions are already being given in such a manner. Unhappy over the tardy rate of disposal of pending files under the Building Regularisation Scheme (BRS) and Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS), he called for conduct of ‘melas’ at zonal offices to speed up disposal of files pending. There were 85,398 applications received under LRS of which 72,058 are eligible applications.
Proceedings were issued in 7,304, intimation for fee payment in 937 cases and 3,122 were rejected. In 36,864 more documents have to be submitted and notices issued. For BRS, about 1.4 lakh applications were received but disposal rate was “very poor.” There was an urgency in completing the process since a status report has to be submitted in the High Court soon, he reminded.
Funds for Jawaharnagar dump yard
GHMC efforts to improve the Jawaharnagar garbage dump yard received a much needed boost with the Union Ministry for Urban Development releasing ₹25.72 crore under the Swacchh Bharat Mission. The funds are to be utilised for capping the legacy dump at the landfill site and leachate treatment by transfer to the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).
